I slapped my left hand onto the refrigerator-sized capsule and engaged the gecko pad. I lifted it away from the wall. I strained my muscles and the power joints to bend and buckle the metal that remained just a bit more. I needed enough clearance to get my right hand and Excalibur behind there to poke at it and sever the last cable.
It was going to be far too close for my comfort. Using Excalibur with one hand and only my Engineering vision mode giving me any visibility on the thing I was cutting was hard. I triggered my salvage interface with a thought and highlighted the cable. I mentally adjusted the cut, giving it the other side of the cable from me.
╠═╦╬╧╪
Power connections
Salvage: Metals, tier 3
Cost: 160 Nanite Clusters
╠═╦╬╧╪
I hit the button and Nanite Clusters flowed out of me to disappear behind the unit. I began hammering as fast as I could, waving the charged point of Excalibur around as I attempted to get the last of the cable cut. The salvage operation’s progress bar filled, but slower than I liked. I looked at the clock again. One minute left.
"Jake, we're done. Get your ass out of there. We're leaving," Metra said.
"Right behind you," I said through gritted teeth.
I stabbed with Excalibur, wrenching it with my right hand, trying to tear with raw force as well as cut with the chisel tip. I didn't know if it would help, but anything might at this point. If I could tear this cable off with my bare hands, I certainly would try.
The final bit of cable snapped and the unit fell free. Its enormous mass sagged onto my left arm. With Excalibur still in my right hand, I bear-hugged the harvester and soared up the shaft.
"I'm coming, clear the way," I yelled.
At the top of the shaft I arrested my momentum with a smooth transition of the gravity plates from push to pull and back. I described a graceful arc out of the shaft and boosted again for the blast bulkhead doors, open and waiting for me. Around me the sensors Marty and I had placed were still on the walls, our cases still floating where Marty and I had left them, but Marty and Metra were gone.
I flew awkwardly through the open blast door and down the hall. Blast doors snapped shut behind me one by one, each less than a second apart. As I got through the fifth and final door, I landed, and stumbled to a halt beside Marty and Metra. I had an enormous grin on my face.
"Reactivating," Metra said, and we were done.
I slammed the harvesting unit down in front of me, raising my right arm in triumph.
"Beat that clock, baby!" I yelled.
Metra rolled her eyes, but Marty gave me a congratulatory fist bump.
"Solar Tap has reactivated. Minor damage to orbital satellite, function not impaired," Brick reported.
"Yes, we're all good. Solar Tap efficiency is 70%, which is exactly what I would expect with three rings disabled. Good job, Marty," Metra said.
"Hey, what about me?" I asked.
"You endangered the mission, the Solar Tap, and your whole solar system so you could salvage that. Was it worth it?"
"I sure as hell hope so. You know we desperately need the exotics, Metra. With this, we can finish Redemption. We still have to go up to Pluto and clear those Ferals out, don't we?" I asked.
A frown crossed her face. "Yes, I suppose we do. Or rather, you do. I'm going to return to Pax and finish my ship. If you boys are quite done?"
"I think we are, for now. Thanks, Metra. You know we couldn't have managed this without you," I said.
"Yes, I do. I have to tell you, Jake, being an engineer usually isn't so exciting."
Metra said her farewells and left Marty and me on the Mercury station a few minutes later. Marty and I returned to the control room.
"All right Boss, mission accomplished. Connahr field stabilized. Now what?"
"Brick, would you send some bots to take this through to Pax and salvage it for whatever you can? Once you're done, let me know what you've got," I ordered.
"Can we actually finish Redemption here, or do we need one of those Light Shipyards?" Marty asked.
"That entirely depends on what you want to change, Marty," Brick replied. "Most components can be made in Pax's Light Manufactory and transported through the gate for assembly and installation on Mercury. Only major hull modifications would absolutely require something on the scale of the Light Shipyard."
"That's good, since we don't have one of those anymore."
"It'd be best, I think, if we can get straight to Pluto after we're done here. Kill some aliens and clean out the infestation as best as we can," I said.
"Sure. It'll be nice to test out her weapons," Marty said. "Other than using them to dig a big hole, anyway. She performs beautifully in the simulations.”
"Anyway, I'm going to nip over to Pax and get a shower and some food. You coming?" Marty asked.
"I'll hang here. See you in a bit."
Marty went through the gate and left me alone on Mercury. I wondered if, technically speaking, I'd been the first human to set foot on this planet. After all, Marty had still been in the ship when I jumped out. Maybe not the first Humanity-branch species, but it still felt good.
"Yeah, first man on another world. The moon doesn't count," I muttered to myself.
"If the movies you like to play for us are correct, Jake, talking to yourself is the first sign of deeper mental issues," Brick said.
"Geez, Brick, can't a man talk to himself in peace?"
Chapter Forty: I've got Aliens in my DMs
AFTER MARTY LEFT, I spent a few minutes looking at my status screen and wondering if I should use some of our new materials to upgrade myself. Depending on the amount, I thought I might. The lack of exotics
